Marker for weather-boards



(No Model.)

J. HAMM. MARKER- FOR WEATHER BOARDS, FLOORING, AND JAMES.

N0.305,920. PatentdSeptFf30, 1884.

ATTORNEYS.

NITED STATES ATn'r FFICEQ JOHN HAMM, OF MEMPHIS, KANSAS.

MARKER FOR WEATHER-BOARDS, FLOORING, AND JAMBS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,920, datedSeptember 30, 1884.

- Application filer] July 9, 1884.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN HAMM, of Memphis, in the county of Bourbon andState of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Markersfor eather-Boards, Flooring, and VVindow-Jambs, of whichthe following isa full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the annexeddrawings, forming part of this specification.

- This invention consists of an improved mark er for weather-boards,flooring, and door and window jamb's, as hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 isa plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, show ing anadjustment. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on line a: a: of Fig. 1, and Fig.5 is a modifioation.

A indicates a rule formed of two strips of wood, connected together atone end by a hinge, a, and at the opposite end by a transverse screw,1). Eachiof said strips is provided with a short rectangular arm, B, ateach end, and with a longitudinal groove, a, in its outer side. To eachside of the rule thus formed is secured a metal plate, 0, having a slot,a narrower than the groove a and registering therewith. At each side ofthe rule is a standard, D, having a shoulderedprojection, d, which isfitted in and behind the slotted plate 0 and adapted to slidetherein.The shouldered projection d is formed by a square plate secured to a lugon the standard D by means of screws, as shown in Fig. 4. The advantageof this construction is that by tightening up said screws any desireddegree of friction will be produced. between the stand-- ard and slottedplate 0, to prevent the standard from moving more freely than isrequired. The standard is tubular in form, and it carries a cutter, E,the shank of which is arranged in the standard, and is provided with athread, 6, and thumb-nut e at its upper end, and a spiral spring, 6,near its lower end, which is compressed between the shoulder f of thecutter and a shoulder, f, in the standard when the nut is screwed up.Unscrewing the nut will allow the spring to force the cutter E downwardto throw the edge thereof below the bot- (No model.)

tom of the rule to any desired degree. The edge of the cutter E is setoff at one side of the plane of its shank to allow the said edge fromturning'in the standard. The edge of the cutter is beveled from the ruleon its outer side, and is curved from end to end.

In use the rule is to be placed across a board or other piece ofmaterial, and one of the standards is to be moved by hand from one endof the rule to the other, causing the cutter E to be partially embeddedin the board, so as to leave a mark thereon by which the saw in squaringor beveling off the end of the board is to be guided.

In weather-boarding a house between two windows, the weather-board is tobe supported on two nails at the edges of the window-casings, and themarker is then to be placed across the weather-board at the righthand.The righthand cutter is then to beino ved upward, marking the boardwhere it is to be sawed off to fit against the adjacent casing, and themarker is then to be moved to the left hand at the opposite cas'ing, andthe left-hand cutter is to be used in marking that end of the board.

By having two cutters arranged on opposite sides of the rule the markerneeds only to be shifted from one end of a board to another without theneed of reversing it end for end in applying it to the two ends of aboard, as would be required if there were only one out ter; and owing tothe fact that weather-boardin g is frequently made thinner at one edgethan at the other, it is important that the marker shall not need to bereversed end for end, since, to adapt the marker to such boarding, oneof the arms B would be made shorter than the other, as shown in thedrawings.

The rule as above described is adapted for marking weather-boards. Whenit is to be used for marking off floor-boards, the screw 6 is to bewithdrawn, and the two hinged strips forming the rule are to be openedon the hinge a to a rectangular position, as shown in Fig. A slottedgage-plate, F, is attached to the upper surface of one of the strips bya screw and nut, G, and has a perforation, g, by which it is to besecured to the other strip when said strips are opened. The device isthus rigidly secured in the form of a square, and is to be used in thisform in marking flooring.

To adapt the device for marking door and 5 window jambs, the said stripsare to be opened to an angle of about forty-five degrees, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 3.

To get the bevel for making window-jambs,. take a steel square and placeit across the board and square off the end with any suitable marker.Then apply my marker to get the. angle of the bevel, and mark for thesaw.

Instead of using the cutters E above de- 7 scribed, any suitable cuttermay be used. 15 In Fig. 5 I have shown a cutter which may 1 be used toadvantage, being simple and inexpensive in construction. This cutter Econsists of a blade pivoted at one end to a slide, and having its otherend bent outward to form 20 a handle. The cutting-edge is locatedbetween the ends of the'blade and forms a projection thereon. g g What Iclaim is-- -1. The cutter E, having the plane of its edge set off at oneside of the plane of its shank, in 25 combination with the slotted plate0, tubular standard D, spring e and nut e, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. The combination of the rule A, formed of two strips hinged togetherat one end, the 0 gage-plate for holding said strips at any desired,angle with each other, the same being made movable to bring it intoalignment with the rulepwhen desired, and the cutters adapted to slidein the outer sides of said strips, sub- 3 5 stantially as shown anddescribed.

I JOHN HAMM.

Witnesses: w

v ELIAS H. WnDnLn,

STEPHEN D. MILLER.

